Combating summer learning loss

THE ISSUE: Research shows that during summer vacation, many students lose knowledge they gained in school.

SOLUTIONS: Experts recommend reading and engaging in educational activities during the summer can minimize learning loss.

Gerry Tuoti Wicked Local Newsbank Editor

While students get a break from school over the summer, that doesn’t mean they should take a break from learning, many educators and advocates say.

When kids experience the so-called “summer slide,” they lose some of the knowledge and skills they acquired during the school year. The result is that some – particularly those who may have already been struggling academically – can fall behind when they return to school in the fall.

“For the first months when they come back to school, it’s like the teachers are retraining the kids,” said Jennifer Francioso, president of the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association.

But parents and families need not despair. There are simple steps they can take to help counter the effects of summer learning loss. Fariba Salehi, director of Kumon Learning Center in Dedham, points to a series of tips the chain of after-school tutoring franchises offers to parents. The advice includes studying about 30 minutes each day and making it part of the child’s daily routine. Establishing the routine while the children are young and creating a learning diary or sticker chart to provide positive encouragement are also recommended. Parents may also choose to purchase age-appropriate workbooks.

Matt Perry, outreach coordinator for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, said research shows that student who read four or more books over the summer perform better on reading comprehension tests when they return to school in the fall. That prompted the Board of Library Commissioners to launch the “What’s your four?” campaign.

The campaign encourages children to read four books during summer vacation. Many libraries hold sign-up events and offer incentives and rewards for kids who complete a quartet of books.

Letting kids pick out their own library books often makes them more engaged, Perry said.

It’s important, he added, for parents to read to their young children and for kids to see their parents reading on their own.

“A big thing parents can do is be role models and be reading themselves,” he said. “When kids see someone they look up to reading, that encourages them to read.”

Many public libraries across Massachusetts also offer free summer programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

“There’s a lot of educational programming and a lot of speakers for adults and teens as well,” Perry said. “It’s gone beyond reading.”

Some school districts also offer summer programming.

A national study conducted by RAND showed that students who had at least 80 percent attendance in academic summer programs outperformed their peers in math and reading on tests the following fall and on subsequent standardized exams in the spring. Participating students also gained an advantage in social and emotional skills in the fall after the second summer.

Boston Public Schools is launching its new “5th Quarter of Learning” program this summer. The program will serve 2,200 students with high needs by offering a blend of academic learning and hands-on activities, such as sailing, zoo outings, dancing, archery and tennis.

“Blending enrichment such as arts, sailing, outdoor science and oceanic expeditions through our 5th Quarter initiative brings learning alive for students year-round,” Boston Superintendent Tommy Chang said in a statement. “We know that when rigorous learning is engaging, it goes a long way toward closing opportunity and achievement gaps. This summer programming opens doors for students to explore a world beyond their own and realize the possibilities that are within their reach.”

A bill to expand Boston’s approach statewide was reported favorably out of the House Committee on Ways and Means in May.

“I think a lot of school districts are becoming more and more aware,” Francioso said. “Teachers want to start teaching in the fall, not reviewing what kids did the previous year.”